Hookah bowl with single use insert

ABSTRACT

A hookah bowl assembly including an insert having a crucible portion with an open upper end, a lower end with a plurality of holes formed therein, a sidewall extending from the upper end to the lower end, the crucible forming a cavity adapted to contain smoking material. A heat resistant material is located over the crucible open upper end. A securement element seals the heat resistant material over the upper mouth to seal the smoking material inside the cavity. A cover is removably disposed on the crucible lower end for sealingly retaining the smoking material inside the cavity. A housing defines an unobstructed passage extending therethrough. The housing has a first open end, and the insert is insertable in the housing first end.

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/033,905 filed on Aug. 6, 2014, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A hookah is a single or multi-stemmed instrument for vaporizing and smoking flavored tobacco or other non-tobacco products such as fruit and spices in a hookah bowl, in which the vapor or smoke is passed through a water basin before inhalation. A piece of burning coal, e.g., charcoal, is used as the heat source to heat the tobacco or other non-tobacco products located in the hookah bowl. Depending on the placement of the coal above the tobacco or other material, a hookah can be used to produce smoke by burning the material or used to create water vapor by melting it at a lower temperature.

In the structure and operation on a classical hookah, there are several components, four of which are important for its operation. The hookah bowl, also known as the head of the hookah, is a container, usually made out of clay or marble, which holds the coal and tobacco during the smoking session. The bowl is loaded with tobacco then covered in a small piece of perforated aluminum foil or screen—typically glass or metal. Pieces of burning charcoals are then placed on top, which heats the tobacco to the proper temperature so that the tobacco and other ingredients give off smoke.

There is also a variation of the head which employs a fruit rather than the traditional clay bowl. The fruit is hollowed out and perforated in order to achieve the same shape and system a clay bowl has, then it is loaded and used in the same manner. Bowls have evolved in recent years to incorporate new designs that keep juices in the tobacco from running down the stem. The Tangiers Phunnel Bowl, offered by Tangiers, Ltd. and Sahara Smoke Vortex Bowl, by Sahara Smoke Co., are two examples of such bowls. Next, a hookah cover windscreen is a cover which sits over the bowl area, with some form of air holes. This prevents wind from increasing the burn rate and temperature of the coal, and prevents ash and burning embers from being blown onto the surrounding environment. This may also offer some limited protection from fire as it may prevent the coal from being ejected if the hookah is bumped.

Technically if the pipe has a hose it is not a “hookah”—the term historically referred to a straight-neck tube. Today the hose (one or more) is a slender flexible tube that allows the smoke to be drawn for a distance, cooling down before inhalation. The end is typically fitted with a metal, wooden, or plastic mouthpiece of different shapes, size, color or material type. Many hookahs are also equipped with a purge valve connected to the airspace in the water jar to purge stale smoke which has been sitting unused in the jar for too long. This one-way valve is typically a simple ball bearing sitting over a port which seals the port by gravity alone and will open if positive pressure is created by blowing into the hose. The bearing will be held captive with a screw-on cover. The cover should be opened and the bearing and seat cleaned of residue and corrosion regularly to ensure proper sealing. The body of the hookah sits on top of the water jar, or sometimes referred to as a vase, or base. The downstem hangs down below the level of the water in the jar. Smoke passes through the body and out the downstem where it bubbles through the water. This cools and humidifies the smoke. Liquids such as fruit juice may be added to the water or used in substitution. Pieces of fruit, mint leaves, and crushed ice may be added.

A plate or ashtray sits just below the bowl to catch ashes falling off the coals. Grommets in a hookah are usually placed between the bowl and the body, the body's gasket and the water jar and between the body and the hose. The grommets, although not essential (the use of paper or tape has become common), will help to seal the joints between the parts, therefore decreasing the amount of air coming in and maximizing the smoke breathed in. A diffuser is a piece attached to the bottom of the stem, usually made of plastic and in a grid pattern, to make a smoother smoke and a subdued noise. By breaking the naturally larger bubbles coming up the water from the pipe into smaller bubbles, it lowers the amount of suction or “pull” needed to continue bringing smoke to the chamber. This also cools the smoke down more efficiently. It is used as a luxury item for a premium smoking experience and is not a required component. These are the major components of a hookah. In addition, to these parts, there are consumables that must be provided to smoke with a hookah.

Tobacco or mu'assel which means “honeyed”, is a syrupy tobacco mix with molasses and vegetable glycerin moisturizer and specific flavors added to it. Typical flavors of mu'assel include apple, grape, guava, lemon, mint, as well as many other fruit based mixes. Non-tobacco based mu'assel is also available in certain areas where tobacco smoking is not allowed. Charcoal is the typical source of energy to produce heat that will be transferred to the tobacco inside the bowl. Since the glycerol is used to moisturize the tobacco, then to produce smoke, the charcoal should be able to generate heat above the boiling point of glycerol that is 290° C. Therefore, charcoal for hookah smoking is preferably hard, high density, easy to ignite, and burn longer with persistent heat.

The jar at the bottom of the hookah is filled with water sufficient to submerge a few centimeters of the body tube, which is sealed tightly to it. Deeper water will only increase the inhalation force needed to use it. Tobacco is placed inside the bowl at the top of the hookah. Often the bowl is covered with perforated tin foil or a metal screen and coal placed on top. The foil or screen separates the coal and the tobacco, which minimizes inhalation of coal ash with the smoke and reduces the temperature the tobacco is exposed to, in order to prevent burning the tobacco directly.

When one inhales through the hose, air is pulled through the charcoal and into the bowl holding the smoking material such as mu'assel or tobacco. The hot air, heated by the charcoal vaporizes (not burns) the smoking material, thus producing smoke, which is passed down through the body tube that extends into the water in the jar. It bubbles up through the water, losing heat, and fills the top part of the jar, to which the hose is attached. When a smoker inhales from the hose, smoke passes into the lungs, and the change in pressure in the jar pulls more air through the charcoal, continuing the process. If the hookah has been lit and smoked but has not been inhaled for an extended period, the smoke inside the water jar may be regarded as “stale” and undesirable. Stale smoke may be exhausted through the purge valve, if present. This one-way valve is opened by the positive pressure created from gently blowing into the hose. It will not function on a multiple-hose hookah unless all other hoses are plugged. Sometimes one-way valves are put in the hose sockets to avoid the need to manually plug hoses.

In typical hookah, the bowl must be emptied and refilled with the desired blend of tobacco or other non-tobacco smoking material before smoking. It also must be cleaned in order to prevent the flavor of one previously smoked mu'assel from affecting another. It would be convenient if there were prefilled hookah bowls to ensure easy operation and freshness of the smoking product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a hookah bowl assembly including an insert having a crucible portion with an open upper end, a lower end with a plurality of holes formed therein. A sidewall extends from the upper end to the lower end. The crucible forms a cavity for containing smoking material. A heat resistant material is located over the crucible open upper end. A securement element seals the heat resistant material over the upper mouth to seal the smoking material inside the cavity. A cover is removably disposed on crucible lower end for sealingly retaining the smoking material inside the cavity. A housing defines an unobstructed passage extending therethrough. The housing has a first open end, and the insert being insertable in the housing first end.

The present invention also provides a hookah bowl assembly including a single use insert having a crucible portion with an open upper mouth, a lower end with a plurality of holes formed therein, sidewalls that extend from the upper mouth to the lower end, and the crucible forming a cavity containing material to be smoked. A heat resistant foil is located above the open upper mouth. A removable seal is disposed over the plurality of holes formed in the crucible lower end to seal the smoking material inside the cavity. A housing defines an unobstructed passage extending from a first open end and an opposed second open end. The insert is freely received in the housing first end, the housing second end being adapted to be coupled to a hookah.

The present invention further provides method of operating a hookah including:

-   -   obtaining a single use insert, the insert having a crucible         portion with an open upper end covered by a heat restraint         material, a lower end with a plurality of holes formed therein,         sidewalls that extend from the upper end to the lower end, and         the crucible forming a cavity containing material to be smoked;     -   obtaining a housing defining an unobstructed passage extending         from a first open end and an opposed second open end;     -   removing a cover disposes on the lower portion of the insert         exposing the plurality of holes;     -   securing the housing to the hookah by inserting a portion of the         hookah into the housing second open end;     -   placing the insert into the housing first open end, wherein the         housing supports the insert thereon in an unsecured manner; and     -   piercing the heat resistant material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a hookah bowl showing a preloaded hookah bowl insert disposed within a hookah bowl housing.

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of a hookah bowl insert.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a hookah insert of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of hookah insert with a securement element in place.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional side view of the exemplary hookah insert.

FIG. 6 is a cross section side view of the exemplary hookah bowl with the insert placed within a housing.

FIG. 7 is a detail view showing the interface of the hookah insert and housing.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the hookah bowl housing.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the hookah bowl with punch tool.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a punch tool.

FIG. 11 is a side perspective view of an insert and plug of FIG. 2, with the plug removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a hookah bowl 5 includes a heat resistant housing 8 and a hookah insert 10 that can be removably placed therein. The insert 10 includes a heat resistant crucible portion 12 having a sidewall 13 extending between an upper end 16 forming a mouth and a lower end 18. The sidewall 13 may taper from a wide open upper end 16 to the smaller partially closed lower end 18. The lower end 18 and sidewall 13 form a cavity 17 of holding smoking material 24. A securement element 14 fits around the wider upper mouth 16 of the insert. A piece of heat resistant material 22 (e.g., aluminum foil) covers the upper mouth 16 and is tightly retained in place by the securement element 14. The insert 10 lower and narrower end 18 includes holes 20 formed therein. The insert 10 has a wide flange 28 around its upper mouth 16, which provides a seat when the insert 10 is placed in the housing 8, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

With additional reference to FIG. 6, the hookah insert 10 is preloaded with smoking material 24 such as tobacco, non-tobacco, or other flavored material that will be smoked once it heated. A cover 26 is provided to cover and seal the narrower end 18 with holes 20 and prevent the smoking material 24 and the flavor and essence contained therein from leaking out of the crucible 12. The 26 cover may be formed of plastic, elastomeric, or other nonporous material.

The heat resistant material 22 at the upper mouth 16 also seals in the smoking material 24 within the crucible 12. The heat resistant material 22 also supports the charcoal 41. The securement element 24 is secured around the perimeter of the flange 28 as shown in FIG. 5. The securement element crimped over the flange to secure it and the heat resistant material 22 in place. When heated charcoal 41 is placed on top of the metal foil 22, this heats the tobacco or other flavored material 24 and produces smoke that will exit the holes 20 in the lower end of the crucible.

With reference to FIGS. 3-5, the securement element 14 which secures the heat resistant material 22 may be in the form of a metal ring that is formed to cover the upper rim of the crucible portion 12 and. While a metal ring 14 is shown as being used to tightly retain the foil 22 over the opened upper mouth 16 of the crucible portion 12 in order to seal the smoking material 24 therein, in lieu of using a metal ring to clamp the foil 22 in place, it is possible that that foil may be rolled up and crimped in place, and/or a ceramic and heatproof ring or clips can be used.

The insert 10 may be packaged in a vacuum sealed container in order to maintain freshness. The container may be a metal or plastic foil pouch. Alternatively, the container may be in the form of a cup, in which the insert sits, having a foil cover.

With reference to FIGS. 6-10, when one is ready to use the insert 10, the foil 22 may be ruptured by forming a plurality of holes 40 therein. The holes 40 allow air and the heat generated by the charcoal 41 to pass though the material 24 when air is drawn in by the user. The plurality of holes 40 may be formed with a punch tool 42 including a disc 44 having a handle 46 extending from one side and a plurality of pointed spikes 48 extending from the other side. When brought into engagement with the foil 22, the spikes 48 perforate the foil and from the holes 40.

If desired, a piece of absorbent material can be positioned over the outer surface of the lower end 18 of the crucible portion 12 to cover the holes 20 and thereby prevent leakage of materials from the hookah insert 10. With reference to FIG. 3, the cover 26 is shown as being form fitted to the lower portion of the crucible portion 12. If desired, the cover 26 can be shrink fitted to cover the bottom and partially or totally enclose the crucible portion 12 and the foil 22 to completely enclose the hookah insert 10. Alternatively, the cover 26 may be formed of a gas impermeable material adhered to the bottom of the crucible covering the holes. The cover 26 may be in the form of a round plastic film. The cover 26 may be peeled off the crucible to expose the holes and allow the insert to be used. The cover 26 may be in the form of a plug 50 that fills and seals the holes 20 and covers the bottom of the insert. The plug may be in the form of a sealing material that is applied as a flowing liquid material and hardens upon drying. When one is ready to use the insert, the plug may be scraped off the insert and removed from the holes.

With reference to FIG. 11, in one embodiment, the cover 26 may be in the form of a plug 56 having a main body 58 with a plurality of prongs 60 extending therefrom. The prongs 60 are sized and configured to extend into the holes 20 on the bottom of the crucible 12 and seal the holes 20. A tab 62 may extend outwardly from the body 58 to provide a gripping member to facilitate removal of the plug 56. The plug 56 may be formed of an elastomeric material such as silicon rubber.

With reference to FIGS. 6-7, the bowl housing 8 which receives the hookah insert 10 may have an outwardly flared upper end 30 ending in rim 32 and an opposed lower end 34. The flared configuration of the upper end 30 may generally conform to the insert's tapered sidewall 13. The lower end 34 may be narrower than the first end 30. A housing lower portion 36 may flair slightly outwardly and is attachable to a portion of the hookah 35 via a grommet (not shown). The housing 8 has an inner wall 37 which defines an uninterrupted and unobstructed passage 38 extending from the rim 32 to the lower end 34. There is no inwardly protruding portion extending from the inner wall 37 which would impede the passage there through. The passage width, W, is defined by the housing inner wall 37. The flared upper end 30 is configured to receive the insert 10. The insert flange 28 sits on top of, and is supported by, the housing rim 32. The housing rim 32 may have a relatively flat surface for supporting the insert 10. The housing 8 may be formed of a heat resistant material such as ceramic.

In one embodiment, the insert may be freely inserted and removed from the housing 8. The term “freely received” as used herein means that the insert is held within the housing in an unfastened manner, e.g., without a threaded engagement. Thus, the insert 10 even in its operative state can be freely removed from the housing 8 without any unfastening action. For example, the insert 10 can be simply lifted out of the housing 8. There is no structure which restricts the insertion or removal of the insert in or out of the housing 8.

A major benefit of the hookah bowl 5 with a preloaded insert 10 of the invention is that it provides users with a ready to use hookah bowl that is immediately ready to use, without users needing to obtain the smoking material, pack a hookah bowl, and the cut and wrap foil over the open top, which is the current process. The metal foil 22 that is located over the upper mouth 16 of the crucible portion 12 provides a surface to place the burning charcoal during use of the hookah without a need to pack the bowl with smoking material, and then place tin foil or a metal screen over the mouth of the hookah bowl.

Indeed, having the tobacco or other material to be smoked already sealed in its own hookah container can ensure optimal freshness and convenience. Moreover, since hookah smoking tends to be a very social activity, having individual hookah inserts 10 already preloaded with smoking material allows users to quickly exchange between different flavors and smoking compositions. Some smokers like more traditional tobacco smokes, while others prefer fruitier and non-tobacco smokes. With the pre-packed and disposable hookah insert 10, it is very simple for users to quickly change out the material being smoked so that everyone can enjoy his or her favorite hookah smoking.

In order to initiate smoking, the user needs only to remove the cover 26, drop a fresh insert 10 into the housing 8, perforate the foil 22 with punch tool 42, and light the charcoal. When the smoking material 24 is depleted, the hookah insert 10 can be freely removed by lifting the insert 10 out of the housing 8, and a new insert 10 dropped into the housing 8. The insert 10 is removable from the housing 10 solely by lifting the insert away from the housing. The use of a removable insert results in a sanitary hookah bowl that does not require cleaning between uses. A user needs only remove the insert and drop in another fresh insert.

The removable insert 10 also eliminates the need to clean out the hookah bowl between uses. The mu'assel comes in a variety of flavors. If the bowl is not thoroughly cleaned between uses, the flavor of one mu'assel will affect the flavor of the next. However, when using the insert 10, a user need only lift out the insert 10 and place in a new one. There is no need to clean the hookah bowl between uses.

The present disclosure further contemplates that the housing 8, insert 10 and tool 42 could provide together as a kit. Since the housing is reusable, the kit may include a housing 8 and a plurality of inserts 10 as well as a plurality of charcoal pieces (not shown). The kit could also provide a plurality of mouthpieces (not shown) which a user brings to their mount to smoke the hookah. Tongs (not shown) may also be provided to facilitate handling of the charcoal.

The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed, however, so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hookah bowl assembly comprising: an insert having a crucible portion with an open upper end, a lower end with a plurality of holes formed therein, a sidewall extending from the upper end to the lower end, the crucible forming a cavity adapted to contain smoking material; a heat resistant material located over the crucible open upper end; a securement element sealing the heat resistant material over the upper mouth to seal the smoking material inside the cavity; a cover removably disposed on the crucible lower end for sealingly retaining the smoking material inside the cavity; and a housing defining an unobstructed passage extending therethrough, the housing having a first open end, the insert being insertable in the housing first end.
 2. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the housing has an open second end adapted to be secure to a hookah, wherein the second end is narrower than the first end.
 3. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the housing has an inner wall defining the passage, and the inner wall extends in an uninterrupted manner from the housing first end to the second end.
 4. The assembly as defined in claim 3, wherein there is no inwardly protruding portion extending from the housing inner wall which impedes the passage through the housing.
 5. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the insert has a flange extending from a perimeter of the insert first end and the flange is supported by an upper rim of the housing.
 6. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the insert is received in the housing in an unsecured manner.
 7. A hookah bowl assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein heat resistant material is a metal foil.
 8. A hookah bowl assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the cover includes a plurality of prongs insertable in the openings in the crucible lower end.
 9. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the insert is unsecured to the housing during use and freely removable therefrom.
 10. A hookah bowl assembly comprising: a single use insert having a crucible portion with an open upper mouth, a lower end with a plurality of holes formed therein, sidewalls that extend from the upper mouth to the lower end, and the crucible forming a cavity containing material to be smoked; a heat resistant foil located above the open upper mouth; a removable cover disposed over the plurality of holes formed in the crucible lower end to seal the smoking material inside the cavity; and a housing defining an unobstructed passage extending from a first open end and an opposed second open end, the insert being freely received in the housing first end, the housing second end being adapted to be coupled to a hookah.
 11. The assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the heat resistant foil is retained on the crucible with a securement element including a ring clamping the metal foil over the upper mouth to seal the smoking material inside the cavity.
 12. The assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the insert lower end includes a generally planar wall and the plurality of holes being formed in the wall.
 13. The assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the housing has a single uninterrupted passage extending between the housing first and second end and the passage has a width defined by the housing inner wall.
 14. The assembly as defined in claim 13, wherein there is no inwardly protruding portion extending from the housing inner wall which impedes the passage through the housing.
 15. The assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the housing upper end has a flared configuration substantially conforming to the tapered sidewall of the insert.
 16. A assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein the cover includes a plurality of prongs insertable in the openings in the crucible lower end.
 17. A method of operating a hookah comprising: obtaining a single use insert, the insert having a crucible portion with an open upper end covered by a heat restraint material, a lower end with a plurality of holes formed therein, sidewalls that extend from the upper end to the lower end, and the crucible forming a cavity containing material to be smoked; obtaining a housing defining an unobstructed passage extending from a first open end and an opposed second open end; removing a cover disposes on the lower portion of the insert exposing the plurality of holes; securing the housing to the hookah by inserting a portion of the hookah into the housing second open end; placing the insert into the housing first open end, wherein the housing supports the insert thereon in an unsecured manner; and piercing the heat resistant material.
 18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the insert is removable from the housing solely by lifting the insert away from the housing.
 19. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the heat resistant material includes a foil secured to the crucible upper end by a ring.
 20. The method as defined in claim 17, including piercing the heat resistant material using a punch tool having a plurality of spikes extending therefrom. 